Mr Kurosawa

Hooray for the July Kurosawa retrospective at the NFT says MALAKI HARROD

It’s tremendous news that the British Film Institute is running such a comprehensive review of the influence of his films. Not least the level of detail that the BFI is bringing to Kurosawa’s work will explode an enormous amount of confused and ill-thought out criticism that this director has received.

From 1946’s ‘No Regrets for Our Youth’ (though not his first film, it is clearly his most successfully realised) the heart-breaking ‘Mādadayo’ in 1993, (neither of which film, regrettably, makes it into the NFT’s season), Kurosawa’s influence has been astonishing.

Recommendations for those keen to look outside of the ‘Ran’ / ‘Throne of Blood’ axis include the opportunity to see ‘Hidden Fortress’ and ‘Sanjuro’ (often overlooked), and will provide some tremendous insights by way of John Milius’ exceptionally witty ‘The Wind and the Lion’ and Asif Kapadia’s bleak ‘The Warrior’. All in all, as has come to be expected from the BFI, a tremendous and highly successful season.

MALAKI HARROD

NFT Kurosawa and his Influence Season, BFI Southbank (1st June – 8th July 2010); for reservations call the box office on +44 (0)20 7928 3232; alternatively book online at http://www.bfi.org.uk